Xiaomi Redmi Pro vs Redmi Note 3: Battle of the flagship Redmis

Supposed follow-up to the Redmi Note 3, the Redmi Pro could be a Redmi Note 4 in disguise, we do not know for sure yet.

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Saurabh Singh

New Delhi

July 28, 2016

UPDATED: July 28, 2016 16:42 IST

Xiaomi has sold over 6 lakh units (and counting) of the Redmi Note 3 in India, as of May 2016. But, the Redmi Note 3 is going to be old news, pretty soon. The company is out with a new phone that it says is its new flagship Redmi. The phone in question is called the Redmi Pro. The Redmi Pro is a little more expensive than the Redmi Note 3, and quite expectedly so. The Redmi Pro, when you look at its spec sheet, looks like a very high-end phone, again priced in typical Xiaomi fashion.

Supposed follow-up to the Redmi Note 3, the Redmi Pro could be a Redmi Note 4 in disguise, we do not know for sure yet. But, whatever be the case, it certainly looks like another winner - at least on paper - from camp Xiaomi.

Design and build quality

The Redmi Pro and the Redmi Note 3 boast of an all-brushed aluminum finish, that gives them a premium look and feel. But, there are many structural differences between the two. To begin with, the fingerprint scanner in the case of the Redmi Pro lies on the front below the display, while in the case of the Redmi Note 3, it is located on the rear. The speaker out in the case of the Redmi Pro lies on the bottom edge, while in the case of the Redmi Note 3, it is located on the back.

The Redmi Pro also appears a little more premium than the Redmi Note 3 because it comes with chamfered edges and curved 2.5D glass on the front. The Redmi Pro also has USB Type-C for data syncing and charging purposes.

The Redmi Pro is heavier, but thinner than the Redmi Note 3.

Display

The Redmi Note 3 comes with a 5.5-inch 1080p IPS LCD display. The Redmi Pro has the same screen size and resolution, but packs in an OLED display panel.

Software

The Redmi Note 3 runs Android 5.1.1 Lollipop-based MIUI, while the Redmi Pro has MIUI which is based on Android 6.0 Marshmallow. Both the phones will be upgradable to MIUI 8.

Processor and connectivity

The Xiaomi Redmi Pro comes in two processor variants and three models in all. The standard Redmi Pro comes with a 2.1GHz deca-core MediaTek Helio X20 processor, while the remaining two (high-end) come with a 2.3GHz 10-core Helio X25 and 2.5GHz 10-core Helio X25 CPU respectively. While the Redmi Pro with Helio X20 processor and 2.3GHz Helio X25 processor will come with 3GB of RAM, the Redmi Pro with 2.5GHz Helio X25 CPU will come with 4 gigs of RAM.

The Redmi Pro will be offered in 32GB, 64GB and 128GB internal memory options. All the versions will support expandable memory via a hybrid card slot.

The Redmi Note 3 - in India -- on the other hand is powered by 1.8GHz hexa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 650 processor and is available in two RAM variants: 2GB and 3GB. While the 2GB RAM variant comes with 16GB memory, the 3GB RAM version has 32GB of memory. The phone supports expandable storage.

Both the phones support dualSIM and 4G LTE connectivity.

Battery

Both the Redmi Pro and Redmi Note 3 are backed by a 4,050mAh battery.

Pricing

The Redmi Note 3 has been priced at Rs 9,999 for the base 2GB RAM and 16GB memory variant. The 3GB RAM and 32GB storage variant meanwhile costs Rs 11,999.

The Redmi pro starts at 1,499 RMB (Rs 15,122) for the Helio X20, 3GB RAM and 32GB memory and goes all the way to 1,999 RMB (roughly Rs 20,163) for the top-tier Helio X25, 4GB RAM and 128GB memory variant. The company is yet to make an official announcement regarding India availability and pricing.